Governing Body

Our Governing Body provides strategic direction to the school and both supports and challenges our senior leaders so that Tarleton Community is an effective school.Our governors have a wealth of experience and are passionate about their work.

But who are our fantastic governors?

Stuart Bond (Chair of Governors)

Stuart has been a Governor at Tarleton Community Primary School since 2013 and became our Chair in July 2015. He lives in the village with his wife and three boys and is a Mechanical Engineer Manager in the electricity supply industry - providing Stuart with many transferable skills to his role on the Governing Body.

Stuart feels that being a governor allows him to give something back to the school and the community. He has a strong belief in the importance of staff, parents and governors working together. This ensures that our children have the best opportunities, the best environment to learn and the best support available to allow them to enjoy their education and reach their full potential!

Dawn Forster (Vice Chair of Governors)

Dawn is a mother to 3 girls, 1 currently at TCP and 2 now at Tarleton Academy and has a professional background in recruitment, training and retail management. Dawn has a huge presence volunteering in the school as she runs TCP’s baby and toddler play group, Baby Steps, as well as helping out in school with various activities, sporting events and school trips and volunteers weekly to help the children with reading and spelling. This helps her to see the daily life in school. In her role as chair of the Community Development Committee, she is passionate to raise the school’s profile in the community and wants parents to feel that they are included in school life.

Asa Burton

Asa was appointed SEN Governor in 2017. He lives in Tarleton with his wife and two children. Asa works as a Special education needs consultant for Lancashire, and is also a Therapist. Asa is passionate about Special educational needs and making sure every child is happy, valued, and making progress. He enjoys participating and watching anything sport related, and is a keen Crystal Palace fan!

Dr. Andrea Brooks

Andrea is the Managing Director of CMS, a mathematical and analytical consultancy company. Andrea’s passions lie in data analytics and using mathematics to assist and influence commercial business strategy. She is a Chartered Mathematician and Member of the Institute of Mathematics. As part of this, Andrea works with Schools and Universities to promote Maths education and careers. She became a School Governor to try and use her skills to assist with financial planning with the aim of ultimately benefiting the pupils. Outside work and maths, she loves walking, camping and the being with her family.

Louise Voce

Louise is a solicitor, employed by the Crown Prosecution Service in Merseyside. She works in the Crown Court unit, prosecuting a wide range of offences, with a particular interest in prosecuting cases of domestic abuse.

In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis and is an Assistant Beaver Scout Leader at her son’s Beaver colony.

Natasha Schofield

Natasha is a former pupil of TCP, mum to a Year 2 pupil and Managing Director of Grassroots HR; she lives in the village with her partner, 2 cats and Guinea pigs. She has a keen interest in child development, wellness and meditation/mindfulness as well as enjoying camping trips and spending time on the beach having fun! In her role as a governor, Natasha plans to use her skills and experience in HR and business, as well as her personal interests, to support the school, pupils and give back to the local community.

Katherine Bentley

Katherine was appointed a parent governor in July 2018. She lives in Hesketh Bank and has 2 daughters at TCP. Katherine works as an Emergency Planning Manager for Lancashire County Council and is looking forward to supporting the school in its continuous development and is very much part of the school community. In her spare time Katherine loves to run and swim.

Neil Piggin

Neil is a co-opted governor and the parent of two boys, both of whom are pupils at TCP. His belief in community, volunteering and making a difference is what led him to becoming involved at TCP. A varied career in the public sector and now a senior commissioning manager in the Civil Service, Neil brings a range of experience to the governing body. Outside of work he enjoys sport, literature, travel, good food and good wine!

David Pearce

David is currently a trainee primary teacher who has previously worked here at Tarleton Community Primary school as a teaching assistant. This, combined with the fact his son attends the school, has given David a great insight to the school as both a parent and a staff member. His position as a trainee teacher keeps him informed of the ever changing educational climate. David has previously run his own catering business and has a keen interest in sports.

Donna Roberts

Donna has 2 daughters one of which still attends TCP. Her involvement with the school has been on-going for the last 9 years as she has been Vice Chair/Secretary of the Friends of TCP. Donna has gained vast experience working for many years in the NHS, where she has developed a number of skills including performance management, data analysis and service development, enabling her to confidently challenge, make informed decisions but also think broadly when developing solutions to problems as a governor. Donna firmly believes a school which works with parents and the community enables children to experience an enjoyable education wider than the classroom and challenge them to achieve their full potential.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson has lived in the area all his life and runs a business in the area too. One of his children attended the school and is now in Year 9; he also has a child in Year 4 with another child hoping to start school in 2018. Robert believes that school should be fun as well as a place where children can learn how to become the best they can be! Robert has only recently joined the Governors and is enthusiastically looking forward to supporting the school in its continuous development.

Gail Jones

Gail works in the school office as the School Business Manager. She has been part of the team for over 17 years and therefore has a great insight to many aspects of our school. She very much enjoys seeing the children around the school and is involved with the SEND provision at the school. She is really passionate about pupils thriving at the school.

Andrea Walmsley

Andrea is responsible for managing the Early Years and KS1 as well as being the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator. She is currently enjoying teaching Reception. She has been a governor for the last 7 years. She is passionate about education and strives to ensure our children receive the best education possible. She is a well known face around the village having taught at TCP for the last 22 years. She has a love of the outdoors and the natural world and enjoys spending her free time walking in our beautiful countryside or scuba diving in warmer waters.

Michelle Smith

Michelle is a staff governor and has spent over 17 years teaching in Tarleton and is a member of our Senior Leadership team. Michelle is passionate about Maths and is committed to fostering that love for maths in the children she teaches. She has supported other teachers throughout Lancashire through her roles as a Leading Maths Teacher and Maths Consultant. Michelle is currently our Pupil Premium Champion and is focused on quality provision for all. Her main interests are walking her dog and nature.

Chris Upton (Headteacher)

An experienced headteacher, Chris is passionate about education and in ensuring the very best for the children and community of TCP. He is a father of three boys, Simon, Connor and Arthur. He enjoys sport (in particular rugby) and music as he plays the trombone. He is keen to continue to develop sport and music at the school. He is currently working with local headteacher colleagues on the TARDiS Active School's Alliance to ensure that all the children in the area have access to physical activity.

Janette Higson (Deputy Headteacher)

Janette has been a dedicated member of team TCP for 15 years and, in her current role as Deputy Headteacher, she enjoys and thrives off the challenge that comes with every aspect of school life. In her role she shares ideas with the governors, providing a valuable link between the Governing Body and the school staff.

Janette is a Mum of two girls, the youngest being in Year 8. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, music and spending quality time with family and friends.

What do we do?

As a Governing Body, we are expected to have a strong focus on three core responsibilities:

Ensuring clarity of vision

Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils

Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

We are responsible for the conduct of the school and have to ensure that the education provided, and the way in which the children, staff and parents are treated, are in accordance with the law and with the various regulations laid down by the authorities.

We meet termly as a whole governing body but also also sit on various committees. Our committee structure is: